Please answer the 10 essay questions from the list below. each question has to be answered thoroughly with 2-3 paragraphs as needed to explain your position… but fully explain your position in light of the philosophical information learned over the course of the semester (NOTE: a proper paragraph is at least 5-7 full sentences). This is an exercise in application of the information you have learned from the authors/material to answer in your own words. If you do not answer the issue/information listed you receive no points for the essay.  Section I: Epic as Human-Cultural Identity Odyssey - Homer 1. According the Odyssey [1] Jove/Jupiter/Zeus stated to the Assembly of Gods “See now, how men lay blame upon us gods for what is after all nothing but their own folly. Look at Aegisthus; he must needs make love to Agamemnon’s wife unrighteously and then kill Agamemnon, though he knew it would be the death of him; for I sent Mercury/Hermes to warn him not to do either of these things, inasmuch as Orestes would be sure to take his revenge when he grew up and wanted to return home. Mercury/ Hermes told him this in all good will but he would not listen, and now he has paid for everything in full”; [2] Ulysses/Odysseus stated to Nausicaa “The winds and waves have taken me all the way from the Ogygian island, and now fate has flung me upon this coast that I may endure still further suffering for I do not think that I have yet come to the end of it, but rather that heaven has still much evil in store for me”; [3] and Nausicaa stated to Ulysses/Odysseus “Stranger, you appear to be a sensible, well-disposed person. There is no accounting for luck; Jove/Jupiter/Zeus gives prosperity to rich and poor just as he chooses, so you must take what he has seen fit to send you, and make the best of it.” Explain the view of gods, fate, and man within Greek belief, thought, and culture as a whole. Do you consider Ulysses/ Odysseus as a “hero” or a lying, cheating, killing, manipulative power hungry man in quest for his immortality? Explain. Section II: Ancient Philosophy as Basis of Western Thought Euthyphro & Apology - Socrates & Plato 2. The portrait established here of Socrates by Plato is a very particular type of person and philosophic mind. Define and describe in detail (via examples) the type of [1] philosophic mind/thinker, [2] religiosity/irreligosity, [3] teacher/instructor, and lastly [4] overall person. Is Socrates a man of incredible thought, morality, and wisdom or merely a manipulative old man in quest of trapping young men into his sophistic way of thought? Explain. Do you think Socrates an agreeable type of person ‘to be’ or ‘not to be’? Explain. Physics, On the Soul & Metaphysics - Aristotle 3. Aristotle’s concept of ‘nature’ exudes from, is part of, is separate to and at the same time a portion of the Divine (so to speak). Explain the concepts of [1] soul(s) at all levels, [2] thought, [3] motion, [4] ‘potentiality’ and ‘actuality’, [5] nature, [6].

1. Please answer the 10 essay questions from the list below. each
question has to be answered thoroughly with 2-3 paragraphs as
needed to explain your position… but fully explain your
position in light of the philosophical information learned over
the course of the semester (NOTE: a proper paragraph is at least
5-7 full sentences). This is an exercise in application of the
information you have learned from the authors/material to
answer in your own words. If you do not answer the
issue/information listed you receive no points for the essay.
Section I: Epic as Human-Cultural Identity Odyssey - Homer 1.
According the Odyssey [1] Jove/Jupiter/Zeus stated to the
Assembly of Gods “See now, how men lay blame upon us gods
for what is after all nothing but their own folly. Look at
Aegisthus; he must needs make love to Agamemnon’s wife
unrighteously and then kill Agamemnon, though he knew it
would be the death of him; for I sent Mercury/Hermes to warn
him not to do either of these things, inasmuch as Orestes would
be sure to take his revenge when he grew up and wanted to
return home. Mercury/ Hermes told him this in all good will but
he would not listen, and now he has paid for everything in full”;
[2] Ulysses/Odysseus stated to Nausicaa “The winds and waves
have taken me all the way from the Ogygian island, and now
fate has flung me upon this coast that I may endure still further
suffering for I do not think that I have yet come to the end of it,
but rather that heaven has still much evil in store for me”; [3]
and Nausicaa stated to Ulysses/Odysseus “Stranger, you appear
to be a sensible, well-disposed person. There is no accounting
for luck; Jove/Jupiter/Zeus gives prosperity to rich and poor
just as he chooses, so you must take what he has seen fit to send
you, and make the best of it.” Explain the view of gods, fate,
and man within Greek belief, thought, and culture as a whole.
Do you consider Ulysses/ Odysseus as a “hero” or a lying,

2. cheating, killing, manipulative power hungry man in quest for
his immortality? Explain.
Section II: Ancient Philosophy as Basis of Western Thought
Euthyphro & Apology - Socrates & Plato 2. The portrait
established here of Socrates by Plato is a very particular type of
person and philosophic mind. Define and describe in detail (via
examples) the type of [1] philosophic mind/thinker, [2]
religiosity/irreligosity, [3] teacher/instructor, and lastly [4]
overall person. Is Socrates a man of incredible thought,
morality, and wisdom or merely a manipulative old man in quest
of trapping young men into his sophistic way of thought?
Explain. Do you think Socrates an agreeable type of person ‘to
be’ or ‘not to be’? Explain. Physics, On the Soul & Metaphysics
- Aristotle 3. Aristotle’s concept of ‘nature’ exudes from, is part
of, is separate to and at the same time a portion of the Divine
(so to speak). Explain the concepts of [1] soul(s) at all levels,
[2] thought, [3] motion, [4] ‘potentiality’ and ‘actuality’, [5]
nature, [6] and the Unmoved Mover itself. Do you think
Aristotle’s vision of the Divine, attaining perfection, mystical
union, singularity of soul, etc. are practical and attainable in a
single life? Explain.
Section III: Philosophic-Religious Thought/Theory The City of
God Against the Pagans - St. Augustine 4. In Book IV St.
Augustine gives reason for rise of the Roman Empire and its
origins being within the purview of the one True God as well as
how and by whom worship is to be administered. Further in
Book X St. Augustine speaks of theurgy, the ‘Platonists,’ other
religious groups, etc. and their importance within the debate.
Explain the importance of and validity given to St. Augustine’s
assertions in contrast to his well known adversaries and their
positions (meaning give their positions as well as his). Do you
think St. Augustine has been given favourable treatment over
the centuries atop others strictly on sound thought or
preferential theological grounds? Does the logician/philosopher

3. or the theologian gain or remain credible? Explain. Summa
Theologica - St. Thomas Aquinas 5. In Question 1. The Nature
and Extent of Sacred Doctrine: Article 1-10 (speaking of
philosophy, meanings of words, science, practical science,
sacred doctrine, wisdom, etc.) St. Thomas addresses objections,
responses, and his answers to sacred doctrine et al. Explain the
importance of and validity given to St. Thomas’ assertions
within these sections. Do you think St. Thomas is correct in his
assertions on God and man? How does St. Thomas differ from
St. Augustine? Explain.
Section IV: Social and Political Thought/Theory Communist
Manifesto - Karl Marx & Frederich Engels 6. Marx and Engels
spell out their concept of class divisions and ultimate liberation
of the human being from all manipulation… be they personal,
social, cultural, religious, economic or even geopolitical.
Explain the importance of and validity given to Marx and
Engels’ assertions in detail concerning the above mentioned
topics (personal, social, cultural, religious, economic,
geopolitical). Do you think Marx and Engels were correct in
their assertions and did they meet their goal/objectives?
Explain. On Liberty – John Stuart Mill 7. Mill stated “All that
makes existence valuable to any one, depends on the
enforcement of restraints upon the actions of other people… the
object of this essay is to assert one very simple principle… that
the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or
collectively in interfering with the liberty of action of any of
their number, is self-protection.” In relation to the individual to
what extent or end does Mill express [1] society, [2]
government, [3] the majority, or [4] the minority go in their
quest for stability and/or pleasures? Explain the importance of
Mill’s assertions in detail and whether Mill is correct in these
assertions? Why is personal pleasure so important to Mill?
Section V: Social and Economic Thought/Theory A Wealth of
Nations – Adam Smith 8. In Book I, Chapter IV: Of the Origin

4. and Use of Money Smith writes of Exchange Surplus and Value
while in Book I, Chapter V: Of the Real and Nominal Price of
Commodities, or of their Price in Labour, and their Price in
Money he writes of Labour, Barter, and Money. Explain the
importance of Smith’s assertions in detail in comparison to our
example of ‘the butcher, brewer, baker, and beggar’ (also from
the writings of Smith). Do you think Smith is correct in these
assertions and do his ideas support the ideals of J.S. Mill?
Explain.
Section VI: Ethical Theory and Thought on the Self
Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals - Immanuel Kant 9.
Kant states “All men attribute to themselves freedom of will.
Hence come all judgments upon actions as being such as ought
to have been done, although they have not been done. However,
this freedom is not a conception of experience, nor can it be so,
since it still remains, even though experience shows the
contrary of what on supposition of freedom are conceived as its
necessary consequences… Therefore freedom is only an idea of
reason, and its objective reality in itself is doubtful; while
nature is a concept of the understanding which proves, and must
necessarily prove, its reality in examples of experience.”
Explain the importance of and validity given to Kant’s
assertions in light of his concepts of the categorical imperative,
truth, duty in comparison to the thoughts and ideals of Marx and
Engels. Do you think Kant or Marx and Engels have it right?
Explain.
Section VII: Scientific Thought and Human Experience On the
Origin of Species by Natural Selection – Charles Darwin The
Elaboration of the Universe – Jean Piaget Sustainability Does
Not Come Naturally: A Darwinian Perspective on Values;
Science Delusion and the Appetitefor Wonder – Richard
Dawkins 10. (1) Darwin states “Thus it is, as I believe, that
when the males and females of any animal have the same
general habits of life, but differ in structure, colour, and

5. ornament, such differences have been mainly caused by sexual
selection; that is individual males, have had, in successive
generations, some slight advantages over other males, in their
weapons, means of defence, or charms; and have transmitted
these advantages to their male offspring. Yet, I would not wish
to attribute all such sexual differences to this agency…”; (2)
Piaget states “Thus it may be seen that thought in its various
aspects reproduces on its own plane the processes of evolution
we have observed in the case of sensory motor intelligence and
the structure of the initial practical universe. The development
of reason, outlined on the sensory motor level, follows the same
laws, once social life and reflective thought have been
formed.”; (3) Dawkins states “Now values… By values I am
going to mean the criteria in the brain by which animals choose
how to behave… the majority of the things in the universe don’t
actively strive for anything. They just are… Humans are unique
in many ways and perhaps the most obviously unique feature is
language… language, as far as we know, has evolved only
once… According to the young and thriving discipline of
evolutionary psychology, the language learning module [within
the human] is just an example of a whole set of inherited
special-purpose computational modules in the brain… These
modules will presumably be mediated by specific built-in
values. If we turn our Darwinian eyes on our modern civilized
selves and our predilections - our aesthetic values, our capacity
for pleasure, our arts, our philosophies - it is important to wear
sophisticated spectacles.” Now… put on the ‘sophisticated
spectacles’ alluded by Dawkins and explain man by the thought
of Darwin, Piaget, and Dawkins in relation to [1] how man acts
by evolution, [2] ‘behaves’ via psychology, [3] and should act
via philosophical values. After experiencing many different
philosophies throughout the semester who has it right in
comparison Darwin, Piaget, Dawkins or do they have the correct
formulation of reality? Explain. I